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Julius Erving: 76ers shouldn't keep Andrew Bynum

PHILADELPHIA – Sixers great Julius Erving, a strategic advisor to the team's ownership group, laid it out plain and simple Sunday afternoon. The Sixers received nothing from center Andrew Bynum this season and

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PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia 76ers great Julius Erving, a strategic advisor to the team's ownership group, laid it out plain and simple Sunday afternoon.

The Sixers received nothing from Andrew Bynum this season, and without definitive medical information indicating the one-time All-Star center can return to his formerly dominant level of play, the team shouldn't roll the dice again once Bynum becomes a free agent this summer.

"It's going to be costly if the Bynum situation is one of total uncertainty for another year," Erving said. "I don't think the organization should stand for that and I don't think the fans are going to stand for it."

The 7-foot, 300-pound center missed the entire season with bone bruises and cartilage damage in his knees after the Sixers acquired him from the Los Angeles Lakers in a four-team trade in August. The Sixers shipped away All-Star swingman Andre Iguodala, burgeoning star center Nik Vucevic, rookie forward Maurice Harkless and a future first-round draft pick in the deal.

Bynum was paid $16.9 million this season.

"I know what the net result is," Erving said, "and the net result is Robert Parish's old number — 00 — so we have not benefitted one degree and I guess he has. But I think if he's not here you're going to free up a lot of money and money talks in the NBA."

Sixers coach Doug Collins expressed his frustration in the way this season has unfolded before the team played its home finale against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

"Obviously, this team has gone through a lot this year," Collins said. "The moves that were made in the offseason, I give [Sixers managing owner] Josh [Harris] and the organization a lot of credit. They swung for the fences. And unfortunately with Andrew getting hurt and Jason Richardson, it changed the whole dynamics of our season. With that said, and all that went into it, we were in a playoff hunt until six games to go in the season. And I give the players a lot of credit for that."

Former Sixers general manager Pat Williams, who built the teams that competed for a number of NBA championships in the late 1970s and early '80s, winning the title in 1983 after acquiring Moses Malone, understood the gamble that current Sixers management made in acquiring Bynum.

"I think Philly realized that to have a dominant big man makes a huge difference," Williams said. "They gambled knowing that there was some history of injury and some history of immaturity, but when he was right and playing well, he was a dominant force. It'll be interesting to see how it all plays out. He's still very young. Medically it'll have to be determined this summer what happens."

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Richard Mackson, USA TODAY Sports